EU funding to delightful effect. Yes, really.

bexhill beach shelter, pink column detailI came across a delightful site yesterday on my web meanderings. If you like architecture and/or the seaside, check it out. It’s called Coastal Treasures, and treasures are indeed what it contains.

Coastal Treasures “was set up to enable residents and visitors alike to discover the rich architectural heritage in the Anglo-French cross-border region […] and is part-funded by the European Commission through the Interreg 3a programme”. Interreg III is “designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion throughout the EU […] through cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation”. Dry euro-language, but in this case with some lovely results.

The cooperating regions here are the south coast of England (Bexhill-on-Sea, Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea) and the Côte Picardie and evocatively-named Côte d’Opale in northern France.

Staircase, De La Warr PavilionThe site is a tad content-heavy (I’m itching to grab my red pencil) and the small character-size doesn’t help. But it contains some fascinating architectural background and many visual gems – the Wanderlight project in Hastings, for example, with “19 spellbinding lighting installations”. The fantastical houses in the French resort towns are a delight too, with their extravagantly decorated turrets and gables. Ideas here for the summer holidays?

Don’t miss the Architectural links, which will take you to such gems as the National Piers Society or Seaside History web sites, where you can wallow in seaside nostalgia to your heart’s content.

The images here illustrate the  rich variety of our seaside architecture, with an exotically decorative beach shelter and a clean-lined modernist staircase in the De La Warr Pavilion, both in Bexhill-on-Sea. They’re courtesy of Barbara Rich, whose beautiful photos you can view in her Flickr photostream

By Marian Dougan

Published by Marian Dougan

Marian is a translator and editor (specialising in web content) currently based in Glasgow, Scotland. Marian previously lived in Italy for over 20 years, working as a language teacher, translator and policy analyst with the British Embassy in Rome. A qualified member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and its Italian-language and ITI Scotnet networks, she is currently Scotnet's Convenor and Deputy Webmaster. From 2003 to 2006 Marian taught translation skills at the Italian Department of Glasgow University and now gives Master Classes as part of the new Masters in Translation Studies course. She also conducts web-writing and usability workshops to help people improve their websites and communicate more effectively with their readers, users and customers. In September 2014 Marian obtained User Experience Certification, with specialisation in Web Design, from the Nielsen Norman Group. She loves language, especially English, and is convinced that learning languages opens up people’s minds and horizons (and increases their brainpower!). To share her enthusiasm, she advises schools and educational authorities on language skills and enterprise. She gives talks to pupils on how to combine language studies with other subjects and so enhance their potential and increase their career options. Marian is an active member of organisations such as: Scottish Council Development and Industry (SCDI); Association of Scottish Businesswomen; Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Scotland. She also loves architecture, design, fashion (British Vogue!), cities and chocolate. She’s a great fan of Twitter and you can also find her on Linkedin.

Leave a comment

Have your say!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.